Spike stood in front of the mirror, admiring his biceps as he flexed his arms. In his eyes, he was Sir Spike, famed knight of Equestria. Tall, handsome, the type of dragon that made every mare swoon. He was wearing a crimson bow tie, which heavily contrasted the bright green of his pupils. His scales shimmered in the light that crept through the windows of the library, giving way to the soft green of his underbelly that rose up the middle of his chest. The green scales on the top of his head were combed back, giving him the appearance of a proper gentledragon. The rows of neatly organized books in the background gave the dragon an aura of intelligence, in which he revelled. It was only proper for a knight such as himself to maintain a composition of beauty and knowledge.
“Looking good!” he said loudly, his voice resonating across the bare library. As the echos of his words came back to his ears, he smiled proudly as if Rarity herself was complimenting him.
Today was the day for the dragon. The day to lay it all out, to get it off of his chest. He would ask Rarity out on a date, and bedazzle her in such a way no stallion could ever hope to match. Flowers, fancy restaurant, suave moves, Spike had it all.
Spike had this day planned out to a tittle. Using the bits he had saved up over the last couple of years, he’d be able to afford all of the necessities to make this date flow as smoothly as possible; it would be the best Hearts and Hooves day ever! He took one last deep breath, turned away from the mirror, and looked over the library. Twilight had left earlier in the day to help Rarity with modeling for her new spring catalogue, leaving the small dragon in charge of cleaning up and looking after the library that he called home.
Everything in the wooden shelves that lined the walls were perfectly organized in alphabetical order. After Twilight’s reading binge the previous night, heaps of books had been left behind. It had taken the dragon many hours of strenuous labor of climbing up and down ladders while re-organizing the bookshelves, but the finished product was worth it. Rows upon rows of books looked back at Spike as he marvelled at his handiwork. A pristine polished wooden floor reflected the sun’s rays as they beamed in through the windows, attempting to drill into somepony’s retina should they look down.
Spike had planned on leaving hours before, but his main job was to be Twilight’s number one assistant. Now that his work was finished, his day could finally get started. Brushing over his scales one last time, Spike put on a huge grin as he began eagerly walking towards the door. Each step began to weigh heavily on the dragon as he neared the door, as if every time he moved his foot another weight was added to it. Sure, he had a crush on Rarity; well, it was more of an infatuation, but he had never actually asked her out on a date before. He had attempted to profess his love for her before, after he let his greed get the better of him and he turned into a raging giant dragon but she placed her hoof over his mouth; either knowing of what he was going to say, or not wanting to hear it.
Spike caressed his cheek with his claw, he still remembered the kiss from after the whole ordeal. Sadly, he did have to wash his cheek after he framed it. Twilight had made an entire show about keeping clean, and assured him that he'd most likely get another kiss from the divinity that had graced his life.
Spike looked ahead of him, the doorway was the last thing stopping him from entering the world that lay beyond. Taking one last deep breath, letting his lungs fill with oxygen; he held it for a moment, before exhaling, and pushing the door open.
At once, he was hit with a bright beam of sunlight, the glare lancing his gaze. He squinted, and raised his arm right above his eyes to shield them. Spike looked around, it was an abnormally quiet day, considering it was Hearts and Hooves Day. Instead of the myriad of ponies he had grown accustomed to on holidays, there was only a hoof-ful of ponies out today; placidly walking along in pairs, chatting about trivial subjects, enjoying each other’s company on this lovely day.
The purple dragon envisioned that sometime in the very near future, he’d be walking alongside Rarity; their bodies giving each other warmth. Spike would talk about things he had on his mind; what he did at work to help Twilight, his latest escapades with his friends. Rarity would listen intently, offering the occasional nod; her bright blue eyes fixated on him as he wove tales with his words. When he finished recounting his day, Rarity would speak about her ensemble of dresses. Spike would listen with undivided attention, taking every single word she spoke to heart. After their walk, they’d have the perfect dinner, Rarity with her creamy pasta alfredo with a side dish of caesar salad, Spike with a bowl full of sapphires and rubies. When their dinner was finished, Spike would tip the waiter like a true gentledragon. The amount of bits spent would be worthless in comparison to the wealth of love. Rarity and Spike would sit together on a hill on the outskirts of Ponyville after their dinner, their bodies against each other. They’d watch the moon rise into the brisk night sky, the stars twinkling at them. They’d embrace each other, her head on his shoulder; snuggling each other. She’d lean in, pull his face so they’d be facing each other; eye to eye, their gazes latched. She’d pull his face closer and closer, until their li-
“Hello, Spike!”
Spike shook his head violently as his entire train of thought quickly derailed. He looked around for the source of the noise before noticing a violet earth pony waving at him, her flank adorned with three smiling flowers. He forced a sheepish smile, and waved back.
“Uh... hello, Cheerilee!” he called out.
“Beautiful day we’re having, isn’t it?” she asked, turning her head towards the sky.
The dragon looked around; it was indeed a beautiful day. Not a cloud could be seen gracing the sky, instead the skies were filled with a flock of birds happily chirping to rhythms that left ears fluttering. The air was nice, not too cold, but cold enough that it was proper to be close to one another, perfect for taking a stroll with a special somepony through the nearly empty streets of the town.
Spike scratched the back of his head. “I guess it is... say, do you have a special somepony this year?”
Cheerilee looked back at him, beaming. “Afraid not, Spike. After the fiasco that happened last year, I promised I wouldn’t get back into looking for another few years. How about you, do you have a special somepony this year?”
Spike blushed, and dragged one of his feet in a sweeping pattern across the ground. “Well... I was just about to ask her.”
Cheerilee looked surprised. “Well then, best of luck to you, Spike! Hope I didn’t distract you at all!” she said, beginning to trot away.
“Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Cheerilee!” Spike called out, waving.
Spike sighed, and began walking down the street. First thing on his checklist to do was to go to the flower store. It wasn’t too far from the library, roughly a five minute walk. Spike’s eyes darted across the sides of the street. Absolutely everything was paired up; birds, bees, bunnies, even trees. It truly was a day for romance.
He sped up his walking a bit, the quicker he got to the flower store, the quicker he could go see Rarity and have his own special somepony. Over the horizon of the cobblestone street, a store with a smiling red flower beamed down upon the dragon as he neared it. It was a well-kept building, the wood shined like it was brand-new; the exterior painted a grass green that seemed to invigorate the lumber itself. Two windows stood beside the door, allowing onlookers to gaze upon myriads of different colored flowers. Dark green rolling hills stretched out behind the shop, never stopping until they hit the far horizon. ‘Fields of Flowers’ was one of the few flower stores in the town. They sold roses that shone brighter than other roses, tulips that were more curvaceous on their tips and a more royal purple than other tulips. The price of the flowers were a bit higher than the average flower store, but bits were not a factor when love was at stake.
Spike walked into the doors. Almost instantly, his nostrils were assaulted by a melange of different aromas; the fragrances of multiple flowers fought for dominance over which the dragon would pick up, before settling on being mixed together into a smell that seemed to liven up the soul itself. It was a warm welcome to the store, at least. Spike’s eyes dragged across row after row of flowers. Roses, tulips, daisies, the store had everything. An oak desk sat in the corner of the room, holding a small cash register. A small fan was gently swaying to and fro from the ceiling, currently turned off.
“Hello!” chirped a voice. “Welcome to Fields of Flowers, how may I help you?”
“Umm... I pre-ordered some roses last week?” Spike answered.
A bright yellow earth pony with a long and straight light green mane stepped into view from behind one of the rows. Her cutie mark was a bouquet of an assortment of flowers. Her scintillating purple eyes stopped on Spike.
“Oh, hey Spike! Couldn’t tell it was you just from your voice!” she giggled.
“That’s ok, Daisy. Do you have the roses ready?”
“Sure do! Trimmed, brightest and most beautiful I could find! Whoever’s getting this must be very lucky! if you don’t mind me digging around your flowers, could I get this name of this special pony?”
Spike blushed. “Umm... I was planning on giving them to... Rarity,” he stammered.
Daisy Fields tapped her hoof against her chin. “Let’s see... Rarity, Rarity... where have I heard that name before... is that the one that’s the owner of the Carousel Boutique?”
“Yep!” Spike answered proudly.
“Real looker! I wish you the best of luck, you must’ve had to fight off a herd of stallions to get to that one! Anyway, I’ll go get your roses, they should be in the back somewhere.”
Spike twiddled his claws together, as Daisy Fields trotted to the door that lead to the back of the room. Sounds of rummaging drifted through the still air of the store, seeming to reverberate against the quietness that had previously filled the shop.
“Found ‘em!” shouted Daisy.
She cantered out of the back room and over to Spike with a bouquet of bright crimson roses wrapped in white paper in her mouth; the flowers seeming to shine more than a room full of gems itself.
The baby dragon marvelled at how beautiful the roses were, before taking them. “Thanks, Daisy! I’ll be sure to come back here if I ever need flowers again!”
“Looking forward to your next visit then, Spike! Be sure to tell me how your date goes!” Daisy called out, waving.
Spike started walking towards the door. “Will do!” he tightened his grip on the bouquet, still being delicate enough that the roses wouldn’t snap. He pushed the door open, and walked outside to the expectant morning air. The roses seemed to dance to a song that the wind played, moving gently in the bouquet.
Spike looked both ways, the streets were still as quiet as earlier. Looking over the town from what he could see, he could scarcely make out the top of the Carousel Boutique. Spike’s smile grew larger, as he began to skip to the boutique where the mare of his dreams lay waiting.
“Hey, can I help with this?” asked a light grey filly. Her mulberry and pink mane bounced along with her as she hopped across the room to a sewing machine.
“Sweetie Belle!” an exasperated snow white unicorn called out. Her purple mane, styled into barrel curls, jumped along with every step the unicorn took, her tail following suit. "I'm far too busy at the moment. Please find something else to occupy yourself with!"
“No fair... I just want to help...,” Sweetie Belle said kicking at a ball of yarn that was resting nearby.
“Oh no...,” Rarity whispered, her eyes following the yarn soaring through the air.
The ball hit a mannequin, which teetered for a few seconds, before falling over. The plastic figurine fell onto a board hanging precariously off of a drawer, which was holding a group of knitting needles on the far end. The board was flipped over, sending the needles flying at near terminal velocity towards Rarity, the sharp ends glinting from whatever sunlight managed to make it in through the windows that adorned the top of the boutique.
“Ahh!” The fashionista shrieked as she ducked from knitting needles that darted by her head, landing into the wall just behind her. Letting out a sigh of relief from avoiding that close call with danger, she turned and glared towards Sweetie Belle, who was wearing a forced grin.
Rarity looked at her sibling with anger noticeably building on her countenance when she caught herself. Swallowing hard, she sighed and asked with a hint of frustration: "Sweetie Belle, would it be too much to ask for you to go play with Apple Bloom or Scootaloo?"
“Well I would, but Applejack said I can’t go near Apple Bloom on Hearts and Hooves day anymore, after what happened with Big Mac last year, and Scoots is watching Rainbow practice!” Sweetie Belle groaned in reply, dejectedly trotting over to Rarity.
“Well, surely there must be something for you to do today that doesn’t involve making a mess of the boutique!”
Sweetie Belle hopped over to a ball of yarn and lit up. “I know! I can help you weave this!” she grabbed the end of the string, and pulled back. The yarn didn’t budge.
“Sweetie, just... leave that alone before you create an even bigger mess!” Rarity called out.
A shocked unicorn was seated on her haunches near the wall. Her purple mane fell down to her chest, unmoving as the unicorn was. Her eyes were dilated, her mouth agape. “If... this is a bad time for me to help you, Rarity... I can always go home?”
“Oh, nonsense, Twilight!” Rarity replied, smiling nervously at her friend. “I simply implore that you stay here for awhi - Sweetie, put that yarn down this instant!”
Sweetie Belle had completely unraveled the ball, and was staring at her sister. She gave a little whimper and tossed the yarn into the air. “I just wanted to help...,” she said, lowering her head in defeat towards the ground. The yarn went straight up, fully unraveling itself, before falling down on Sweetie’s back. The filly jumped up in shock, her eyes dilating to nearly twice their size. “SNAKE!” Sweetie yelled, bolting towards Rarity.
Twilight facehoofed. “I think... I’ll just get going...,” she stated, getting off of her haunches and starting to trot off towards the entrance.
“Oh, Twilight, dear! Don’t leave so soon, everything’s just fine! If you leave now, who will I model my newest ensemble of dresses on, hmm?”
Twilight sighed heavily, her face contorting into a mixture of annoyance and defeat. “I don’t know, maybe Fluttershy?”
Rarity dramatically held her hoof to her forehead. “Twilight, do you not remember the last time poor Fluttershy modeled? We do not want a repeat of that, do we?”
“Well... I guess not.”
“Now turn yourself around, and you’ll realize this isn’t that bad!” Rarity happily proclaimed.
Twilight turned around, and let her eyes scan the room. The only thing she found comforting were the various shades of purples that adorned the curtains and walls. Everything else was a disaster waiting to happen. Heaps of yarn were scattered haphazardly across the violet and grey floor. A few dresses were tossed without care onto the mannequins; well, those left standing that was. The majority of the mannequins had been knocked over, their plastic body parts were scattered across the room. Knitting needles were deeply embedded into the walls, a sign of the force they were launched with. Sheets of rolled up fabric covered some of the yarn mounds; their unraveled brethren covering what little space of the floor still shown.
“It’s... not that bad, I guess?” Twilight stated, a hint of uncertainty tainting her words.
Rarity’s eye twitched. “Oh, who am I kidding!” her horn flowed a faint blueish tint, as a red satin chaise lounge with a golden-leafed wooden outline appeared behind her. “This is the. Worst. Possible. Thing!” she yelled, mock fainting onto the couch while holding her hoof over her eyes.
“Rarity, it’s not that bad! It just needs... a little bit of work.” Twilight said.
Rarity lowered her hoof and opened one of her eyes.
“Ok! It needs a lot of work!” Twilight shouted, her eyes widening as they looked across the room.
Rarity pushed herself off of the couch, and back onto her hooves. She enveloped the couch in a blue aura, and pushed it against a wall on the far side of the room. Her eyes drifted over towards Sweetie Belle, who was face down against the floor, her entire body being tangled in the yarn. She paused for a moment. “Can I speak to you outside for a moment, Twilight?”
Twilight shot her a confused look. “What do you have in mind, Rarity?”
The white unicorn trotted towards the door, and pushed it open. “I just... I have an idea that will, how do I put this... benefit the both of us in a way?” she said, bringing her face closer to Twilight. “I don’t want her to hear about it,” she whispered, pointing at Sweetie Belle, who was fighting valiantly against her captor of thread.
“Will it get me out of modeling? I just received some new books that I’ve been dying to read...” Twilight asked with a pleading stare.
Rarity grimaced. “I guess... that can be arranged.”
Twilight let out a happy squeal, and cantered outside.
“Sweetie~ I’ll be back inside in just a minute! Try not to... burn the place down!” she said, trotting outside. She grasped the door with a faint white aura, and slammed it shut.
“Alright, Rar-” the purple unicorn was interrupted as Rarity threw herself at Twilight’s hooves.
"Please please please please please PUUUHHHH-LEEEAASE," Rarity whined, practically groveling, laying on her stomach with her front hooves wrapped around Twilight. “Can you get Sweetie away from the Boutique!”
Twilight’s eyes drooped. “Why... do you want Sweetie gone?” she asked, staring at the begging unicorn.
Rarity got off the ground, brushing herself off with her hoof. “Twilight, look inside the boutique. Do I need to remind you of the... monstrosity that has happened in it?”
Twilight trotted to the door, pushing it open. Her eyes fell upon Sweetie Belle, who had her tongue sticking out, trying to push a piece of fabric through the needle in the sewing machine. “Oh, come on. She’s not that bad!... At times!”
“Well, you don’t have to live with her,” Rarity retorted. “As much as I love her, when she’s not out playing with her friends, she spends all of her time trying to ‘help’ me.”
“What did you want me to do, then?” Twilight asked.
“Well, Twilight. Today is Hearts and Hooves day, is it not?”
Twilight nodded.
“Maybe you can pull a little... prank on her?”
“Uh, are you forgetting I don’t do pranks, Rarity? That’s more... of something Pinkie would do,” Twilight answered.
Rarity pondered the situation. “Well, not a prank of sorts, I guess. Just an elaborate ruse? Something to alleviate her boredom while keeping her out of my coiffure, at least?”
“...Do you at least promise that nopony will get hurt?
“That I can guarantee! Look at the streets, Twilight, they’re empty. Nopony’s out, everypony’s with their special somepony. If they aren’t, then they’re at home.”
Twilight brought her hoof up to her muzzle, contemplating the situation. “This will get me out of modeling, right?”
“Yes, Twilight. Although I must say, you really do look marvelous in some of those dresses. I could see you as becoming...” her eyes combed over Twilight. “Perhaps an extraordinary model?”
Twilight blushed. “Did you have an ‘elaborate ruse’ in mind, Rarity?”
“Well... I do have one...”
“COME ON!” Sweetie yelled.
Rarity facehoofed. “Oh dear, do I even want to look inside?”
Twilight pushed the door open fully, her eyes looking over the room. “Well, it’s not that bad...”
Sweetie Belle held a six-legged green piece of clothing, with a look of disgust on her face. “I put in the red fabric! There’s no way this could have turned out green!” she turned the dress around and let her eyes wander across the entire thing, before throwing it behind her in detestation.
“This is why dress-making isn’t her specialty... I do hope she figures it out sometime that she isa really marvelous singer,” Rarity stated. “Anyway, Twilight. Stay out here... I’ll get you the items that you’ll need.”
Twilight moved away from the door and sat on her haunches.
Rarity trotted into the Boutique, and closed the door. Her eyes scanned the entire room, passing over Sweetie Belle who was still fuming about the dress , looking for the crucial items that she’ll need. “They should be around her somewhere... Ah ha!”
A pair of scissors were levitated, alongside a short string of yarn. They drifted over Sweetie Belle, who was too busy attempting to once again understand the illogical aspects of her abomination that was supposedly a dress, and over to Rarity.
With a sigh of content, Rarity cut a small piece of the yarn off, and dropped the rest to the ground. She placed the small piece of string on the table in the middle of the room. “Oh, Sweetie~,” the fashionista called out.
The filly turned her attention towards her sister, and bounced over to her. “Yes, Rarity?”
“Do you know what today happens to be?”
“Uhh... Saturday?”
Rarity planted her hoof against her forehead. “No, how about Hearts and Hooves Day?”
Sweetie Belle tilted her head, as her face twisted into a look of confusion. “Didn’t we already go over this?”
“We... may have at one point or another. I have thought of something that may help you earn your cutie mark though!”
Sweetie Belle’s face lit up, as an ear to ear grin quickly spread across her face. She started bouncing in circles around Rarity. “Whatisit whatisit whatisit?!”
“Cutie marks happen while you’re older right?”
“I... guess so?”
“Well, Sweetie. What better way to say you’re older than finding a special somepony for yourself?”
“Eww...” Sweetie Belle said, sticking her tongue out and mock-retching. “Colts have cooties though!”
“You may get a... special somepony cutie mark if you try hard enough~,” Rarity chimed.
“I don’t know... colts are still yucky,” Sweetie Belle said, uncertainty tainting her voice.
“Some colts may be yucky, yes, but have you ever given one a chance?” Rarity questioned, holding her head high while maintaining eye contact with her sister.
“Umm... no?”
“Well, that’s your problem! Your talent could be... being a good somepony? Imagine being the first of your friends to obtain a cutie mark!”
Sweetie’s eyes began to glimmer. “Cutie Mark Crusader special someponies!” she yelled, turning to her side expecting Apple Bloom ready to hoofbump her. She lost some of her cheerful demeanor, as she lowered her head towards the floor. “Oh, it’s just me...”
“Now is not the time to be fretting, Sweetie Belle!” Rarity exclaimed. “Now, in order to make yourself somewhat presentable to the public, you must clean yourself up. Start with a bath, and not in the kitchen sink this time. We don’t need a... repeat of what happened last time.”
“Well, it’s not my fault Scootaloo decided to drop a snake near the window!” Sweetie Belle argued. “You know I have a fear of them...”
“Yes, I can tell... but go fix yourself up. When you’re ready, I’ll have a special gift for you to help you get the perfect gentlecolt!”
“A... gift to help me get a gentlecolt?”
“A special heirloom passed down in the family, one would suggest,” Rarity stated, smugly.
Sweetie Belle turned around and started slowly trotting towards the stairs that were on the opposite side of the chaotic room.
“Do be sure to get all of the glitter off of yourself, alright Sweetie?”
“Will do, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle answered. “Are you sure this will get me my cutie mark though?”
“One can never be sure on how another earns their cutie mark, but it can never hurt to try, hmm?” Rarity said, watching Sweetie Belle began her ascent up the stairs. Once she was out of view, the fashionista trotted back outside to Twilight, who was tapping her hooves against the ground in angst.
“That sure took awhile, Rarity,” Twilight stated.
“Well, it’s hard to fool Sweetie Belle. She may be a bit slow on the uptake, but when things don’t click for her, she’s right on them.”
Twilight pondered the statement, raising her hoof up to her muzzle, while tilting her head. Her eyes looked up at a space just above Rarity. “I guess that makes sense... so do you have the items?”
“Item, Twilight. You’ll only need one to pull this off. I’ll give it to you after Sweetie Belle comes back downstairs from her bath. I need to... clear some things up with her first, mind waiting a bit more?”
“Maybe modeling would’ve been a better idea...” Twilight muttered, her voice rising barely above a whisper.
“What was that, darling?”
“Oh, umm... nothing. So do you have any plans for what we do in the meantime?”
“Simple, Twilight. We wait.”
Editors: Fission, Fourfire